DANVILLE — Joshua Bland, a 2016 Danville High School alum, will be honored in this year’s Workers Memorial Day ceremony.
The ceremony is taking place on at noon today in Danville and at 5 p.m. in Champaign.
Bland died in December 2023 repairing a commercial roof in Danville. He fell 33 feet to his death, which led to federal investigators issuing fines against his employer.
His name will be etched on a memorial.
Bland was known to those who knew him best as “Critter,” and is said to have loved music and making others laugh.
There was an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigation which found “his employer did not enforce fall protection equipment for employees and that they had been previously cited for similar violations.”
“What happened to Josh is beyond unacceptable,” said Luther Baker, President of the East Central Illinois AFL-CIO. “The most basic safety standards were not followed, and it led to this tragedy, which was completely preventable.”
Workers Memorial Day began holding ceremonies in 1920.
“Every person whose name is on these memorials deserved the right to go home that day,” said Kevin Sage, President of the East Central Illinois Building and Construction Trades Council. “We have to do all that we can to ensure all workers are safe.”
If you want to add a loved one’s name to the memorials, contact Luther Baker at praecellemus@gmail.com or Kevin Sage at ksage@ualocal149.com.
The Danville ceremony is being held at 423 N. Hazel St., and the Champaign ceremony is taking place at Dodds Park at 1501 N. Mattis Ave.